Agreement with Curaquick to Add 10 Medical Clinics
March 6, 2006 | News & Press Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Columbus Hy-Vee to include walk-in clinic
WEST DES MOINES, IA — Officials with Hy-Vee, Inc. today announced an agreement with Curaquick Clinics, a Sioux City, IA-based healthcare provider specializing in retail delivery of basic medical services, to operate medical clinics in 10 Hy-Vee stores. The first will be unveiled in the newly relocated Hy-Vee in Columbus, NE, which opens March 21.
The walk-in clinics, whose extended hours of operation are appealing to busy families, will be staffed primarily by nurse practitioners or physician assistants. They will operate on a first-come, first-serve basis and treat minor illnesses and ailments such as allergies, heartburn, colds and coughs. Vaccinations for flu, pneumonia and tetanus will also be available.
“Offering on-site care to those with minor ailments is just one more service we can offer to our busy customers, who have, for some time now, made their demands for both convenience and quality service well-known,” says Mary Hunter, assistant vice president of real estate. “We are delighted to work with Curaquick to bring affordable, basic medical care into the mainstream of retail.”
John Daniels, Curaquick cofounder and chief executive, says the concept of the in-store medical clinic is to provide an affordable option for basic healthcare services. “Consumers want choices, and healthcare is no exception,” he says. “Curaquick Clinics in Hy-Vee offer a convenient, affordable option.”
Dan Burrow, another cofounder of the company, emphasizes that because the fees are affordable, Curaquick Clinics fill a void for people who are uninsured or underinsured. “Curaquick’s fee structure is also attractive to people with insurance in today’s environment of higher deductible and co-payment requirements.”
Signs outside the clinic list the types of medical care offered. Those who come to the clinic with more serious or chronic conditions will be referred to doctors, hospitals or urgent care facilities. Insured patients who receive treatment are provided with a detailed receipt to submit to their insurance carrier.
Hunter said Hy-Vee is still in the process of working with Curaquick to determine which stores will add medical clinics in the coming months. She said the company expects to open the remaining nine clinics covered under the agreement within the next year.
Hy-Vee, Inc. is an employee-owned corporation operating 222 retail stores in seven Midwestern states. For 2005 the company recorded total sales of $4.9 billion, ranking it among the top 20 supermarket chains and the top 35 private companies in the U.S.
Curaquick Clinics, based in Sioux City, Iowa, specializes in retail-based healthcare clinics. The Curaquick Clinic model is similar to the emerging national trend toward convenient and affordable healthcare delivery systems.